Wreck-indicator.



No. 882,974. PATBNTED MAR. 24, 1908.

J. ST. ANTOINE.

WBECK INDICATOR. APPLICATION nun SEPT. 7, 1906.

2 SHEETS -SHBET 1- Elnoeutoc mu s lie- 882,974. PATENTED'MAE. 24, 1908. J. ST. ANTOINE.

WREGK INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT, '7, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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. the same.

JOSEPH sr. ANTOINE, or GHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN. V

WIRE CK-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application filed. September 7, 1906. Serial No. 333,717.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH ST. ANTOINE, a citizen of United States, residing at Cheboygan, in the county of Cheboygan and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wreck-Indicators and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will-enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for marking sunken vessels and has for its object to provide a device of that nature adapted to be bolted to the deck of a vessel occupying but little space thereon and carrying a buoy adapted to be lifted and floated off as the vessel sinks, the buoy carrying a signal and having a cable connection with the stationary part of the apparatus.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter fully described, specifically claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the inven tion. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig. 3 is a top view with the chest open.

Like parts are designated by corresponding reference numerals in the several views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 7 designates a chest bolted or otherwise secured to the deck of the vessel by means of the securing ears 1, and provided with a lid or cover 8 held by the hinges 2, and in which is formed a slot 9 communicating with the interior of the chest, this lid being normally closed by means of the lock 3.

Located within the chest is a reel 10 mounted upon the standards 11 which are secured above by means of the cross-rods 4:. These standards revolubly support the shaft 5, having the crank 5 as shown' Secured to the shaft 5, is the reel or drum 10.

Located upon the upper face of the chest lid at opposite sides thereof is a pair of supporting brackets 13 the lower ends of which have the securing ears 14 for fastening the brackets to the cover. The upper end of each bracket is bent u on itself to form a saddle 15 within which t e mast 16 normally rests.

The mast has a square shoulder forming portion 16"against which a barrel sha ed buoy 17 preferably made of sheet meta is secured by means of an ear 6. In addition one end of the mast is provided with a visible signal 18 while its opposite end carries a metallic strap 19 in which is swivelly mounted an I-bolt 20 to which one end of the cable 21 is secured, the opposite end of the cable being fastened to the reel 10. As shown in Fig. 2, this cable is guided between the cross-rods 4. The cable is further provided with a weight 22 secured thereto adjacent the strap 19, the weight tending to raise the mast into vertical position as the vessel sinks and the mast is floated from its brackets.

In the operation of the device the mast will be floated from its supports by means of its buoy as the vessel sinks, the weight carried by the mast forcing the same into upright position, the cable unwinding from the reel, until the vessel finally settles.

When not in use the mast is carried by the brackets, as shown in Fig. 2, the entire device occupying but little space upon the deck.

The cable is provided with graduations or scale markings a foot apart from each other and numbered from the reel end of the cable, so that when the cable has been completely unwound an approximate estimate of the depth at which the wreck lies is, obtainable.

Having thus described my said invention,

what I claim as new is- In the device of the character described, the combination with a slotted lid-provided chest, of standards mounted within said chest, cross-rods securing the upper ends of said standards, a shaft revolubly supported by said standards, a reel upon said shaft, a scale marked cable secured at one side to said reel, an I-bolt secured to the remaining end of said cable, a swivel secured to said I-bolt, a mast having a shoulder forming portion, said swivel being secured to said shoulder forming portion, a barrel shaped buoy upon said mast and stopped by said shoulder forming portion, said cable passing between said cross-rods, and a weight secured to said cable near said mast.

In testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

f? ST. ANTOINE.

mark

JOSEPH 

